We usually focus on current lenses here at photozone, or very popular ones among the discontinued ones. However, sometimes we're offered somewhat exotic or rare lenses that out of curiosity we simply can not resist to review. One such lens is the Tokina AF 300mm f/4 AT-X (or, as it was called in the catalog, the AT-X 304AF).

Not much information is available online about this lens (it isn't even mentioned on Tokina's own web site). It was introduced in the 90's and discontinued early in the new century. Despite being very affordable compared to the OEM offerings of the time, it seems the lens was never very popular, which makes it a rare item nowadays.

One property remained, though: if you can actually find one for sale, the price is usually very low. The unit we had available for this review sold for just 200 EUR.

So, let's have a look at how the lens performs on our current FX test camera, the Nikon D3x...

I generally do MTF testing on multiple copies of a given lens so that I can present the averages, look at sample variation, and stuff like that. I'm always aware that looking at any single copy of a lens, especially a zoom lens, gives only a limited prediction of how other copies might look. But sometimes a limited prediction is still pretty exciting. As luck would have it, I was able to get a single copy of the Sigma 24-35mm f/2.0 DG HSM Art lens for testing today. It will be a week before we have enough copies to begin doing out multiple copy tests, so I thought I'd go ahead and post the results of the one copy.

Z Camera, a China-based photography startup, has introduced a connected Micro Four Thirds camera called the E1. Shaped like GoPro's HERO action cameras, the E1 carries a 16MP Four Thirds sensor and can record video at 4K 4096x2160 resolution. It provides Wi-Fi connectivity and an open platform for developers. Read more

Quelle Surprise!* DxO has made a camera. And not just any camera. The DxO ONE features a 20MP 1"-type sensor and 32mm equivalent F1.8 lens, but it is designed to be used in combination with an Apple iPhone (or iPad). The idea is that the ONE takes care of the camera and image storage part of the equation, while the phone donates its powerful onboard computer and touchscreen. In combination, the ONE and your phone should comprise a more powerful capture device than you'll find built in to any current smartphone or tablet.

We can't help but think that in terms of nomenclature, DxO might have painted itself into a corner when it comes to the eventual successor to the ONE (think about it for a minute), mais revenons à nos moutons**...

The Sony a7R II is the company's newest addition to the popular full-frame mirrorless line, and caused quite a stir with its introduction earlier this month. In this opinion piece technical editor Rishi Sanyal explains exactly why he thinks this camera is potentially groundbreaking in many ways. Read more

A little while ago we reviewed the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R - a great if not even awesome lens. However, it seems as if Fujifilm saw some extra potential here. Thus they took the same design, added an apodization filter and named the whole thing Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD. Now on paper this may not sound like a big deal ... a filter ... but by doing so they injected magic into the lens! An apodization filter smoothes the bokeh's outlines which is big, really big especially in difficult scenes with harsh contrasts. And lenses such as a 56mm f/1.2 are really meant to be used at fully open aperture for separating an object from the rest of the world. Unfortunately the extra glory comes at a price - the Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R is already fairly expensive at 1000US$ and the APD adds an extra 500US$ to the bill.

Nikon just got star struck with the new D810A. As a long time Nikon photographer working as a professional photographer with a passion for astrophotography, I was really excited when this new camera was announced in February this year. Could it be the answer to all my dreams?

China-based manufacturer Yongnuo has produced what looks like a near-clone of Canon's well-liked EF 35mm f/2, a lens that dates back to 1990. With a couple of minor exceptions (one of which being the brand name on the front of the lens) the Yongnuo lens looks very similar to Canon's 25-year-old prime, but at an attractive price of ~$115. Read more

Another lens from Fujifilm's roadmap is making its way to retailers, and that's the XF 16mm F1.4 R WR wide prime. This lens, equivalent to 24mm, has a nine-blade aperture, flare-reducing Nano-GI coating, and a minimum focusing distance of 15cm/6 in. There's also a manual aperture ring and depth-of-field scale. Being a WR lens, the 16mm is also sealed against weather and dust and can function at temperatures as low as -10C/+14F.

Phones that have a camera have evolved much in recent years, but they do not always achieve quality images from the first attempt, excluding a DSLR quality. Below you can learn how to get better quality

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II follows-up on the groundbreaking original E-M5 and brings extra control points (a lot of them) a 40MP high-res mode, better video, improved image stabilization and a host of other refinements, large and small. We've been shooting a lot with the E-M5 II over the past few weeks, and that work has culminated in a full review, with our usual combination of studio and real-world tests.

"Kowa who?" - that's probably your first thought here I reckon. No, it's not another obscure manufacturer with a backyard workshop. Kowa is indeed a fairly big company with high quality optical products and quite some history behind them. Established in 1894(!) Kowa is a multinational Japanese company with almost 2000 employees and multiple product ranges and activities. In terms of optical products they are renowned for their spotting scopes, binoculars and industrial lenses. They even manufactured cameras till the late 1970s. The Kowa Six was their high profile product at the time - a medium format camera plus a large lineup of lenses. And it seems as if they are willing to try a comeback again. It all started a few years back when they introduced a -let's call it- hybrid lens - the Kowa Telephoto Lens Spotting scope which can be used both as a spotting scope as well as a super-tele lens for DSLRs. It even featured a fluorite crystal element - thus a super-expensive component also used by Canon in their very best lenses. Due to the lack of AF, it probably isn't an overly successful product but it seems as if they felt the wind of opportunity. Thus they just introduced a set of three new lenses for the Micro-Four-Thirds system which we'll all cover here at Photozone. In this first review we'll discuss the Kowa Prominar MFT 8.5mm f/2.8 - thus an ultra-wide angle prime lens with a full format equivalence of "17mm".

The fourth iteration of Sony's Cyber-shot RX100 series brings a host of high-speed features from super slow-mo movies to 4K video with virtually no rolling shutter. It all stems from the RX100 IV's 20MP stacked CMOS sensor and the additional room for high speed circuitry that the design allows. Our full review is well under way; for now take a look at the first installment.

Sigma keeps on rolling out more "Art" (professional grade) series lenses - obviously with quite some success as you can also conclude from our previous reviews of Sigma Art lenses. Slowly but steadily Sigma has gained quite a reputation in the professional community as well. This shows that Sigma's "A1" quality control system really does make a difference (are you listening Fuji, Samsung, Pentax, Tokina ...?) - after all pros value optical consistency as much as sheer performance. This time we'll have a look at the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art thus a moderate ultra-wide angle lens (full format). Thus now we got "arty" versions of the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm. The 85mm will be next in line for sure in the foreseeable future.Despite having improved the overall quality, Sigma managed to keep the price tags on a really fair level which is surely a relieve for many potential customers since the original manufactures are keep on driving their products to insane levels here. The Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art sells for roughly 850US$ (800EUR) vs 1550US$ (1400EUR) for the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 USM L II which could be a good reason to help even loyal Canon customers changing boats ... if the quality is right.

Sigma has announced the 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art, a constant wide-aperture, wide-angle zoom for full frame cameras. Part of the company's high-end 'Art' range, Sigma suggests the lens can play the same role as a 24, 28 and 35mm set of prime lenses. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 28cm, giving a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.4. Click through for more details

When Lensrentals.com first got the first Canon 5Ds and 5D sr cameras in stock, Aaron and I immediately started screaming that we wanted to take one apart. It turns out we received enough 5Ds cameras to let us have a day with one to do just that.

Who doesn't love free stuff? Visual Supply Co has been churning out Photoshop and Lightroom-compatible film presets for some time now. To date, they've released seven different 'Film Packs' each containing presets that mimic both classic and contemporary film stocks. Now, they're offering one for free. Read more

This lens was somewhat of a surprise to me. Generally, I avoid wide angles like I avoid aubergine. However, I really grew to like the lens, which turned out to not be like aubergine at all. Unlike the 14mm, which I just could not get to like, this was different. Aperture ring moves with the nice, elegant clicks we've gotten used to on the 56mm, and have the manual focus quick pull-back, like on the 14mm and 23mm. It feels a bit bigger than the 23mm in hand, and is not shy in length next to the 56mm, with a ring size of 67mm. Being weather sealed, that's no surprise. I have always wondered why you would use f/1.4 in a wide angle, as for me this is more of a landscape lens and you would normally shoot f/8 and above...........

In many users' pockets consumer-level digital compact cameras have been replaced by smartphones. The cameras of the latter don't usually have zoom lenses or xenon flashes but image sensor technology has been rapidly improving and clever software processing helps rival, and in some cases even surpass, image quality of dedicated cameras. Add large high-resolution screens for image framing and viewing along with the ability to add special features and new shooting modes by installing apps to the mix, and it's no surprise that for many the smartphone camera has become an important piece of photographic equipment.

On this page we have listed, in no particular order, our current favorite smartphone cameras for those who are looking to buy their first smartphone or upgrade their current device. We are aiming to continuously update this article as new reviews are being added to the site. At the bottom of the page you will also find a chronological list of all smartphone camera reviews that have been published on DPReview Connect since we started the site in 2012.

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